Description

The translator of the Satapatha- Brahmana can be under no illusion as to the reception his production is likely to meet with at the hand of the general reader. In the whole range of literature few works are probably less calculated to excite the interest of any outside the very limited number of specialists, than the ancient theological writings of the Hindus, known by the name of Brahmanas. For wearisome prolixity of exposition, characterised by dogmatic assertion and a flimsy symbolism rather than by serious reasoning, these works are perhaps not equalled anywhere; unless, indeed, it be by the speculative vapourings of the Gnostics, than which, in the opinion of the learned translators of Trenaus, ‘nothing more absurd has probably ever been imagined by rational beings .‘ If I have, nevertheless, undertaken, at the request of the Editor of the present Series, what would seem to be a rather thankless task, the reason will be readily understood by those who have taken even the most cursory view of the history of the Hindu mind and institutions.

The Brahmanas, it is well known, form our chief, if not our only, source of information regarding one of the most important periods in the social and mental development of India. They represent the intellectual activity of a sacerdotal caste which, by turning to account the religious instincts of a gifted and naturally devout race, had succeeded in transforming a primitive worship of the powers of nature into a highly artificial system of sacrificial ceremonies, and was ever intent on deepening and extending its hold on the minds of the people, by surrounding its own vocation with the halo of sanctity and divine inspiration.

A complicated ceremonial, requiring for its proper observance and consequent efficacy the ministrations of a highly trained priestly class, has ever been one of the most effective means of promoting hierarchical aspirations. Even practical Rome did not entirely succeed in steering clear of the rock of priestly ascendancy attained by such-like means. There, as elsewhere, ‘the neglect or faulty performance of the worship of each god revenged itself in the corresponding occurrence; and as it was a laborious and difficult task to gain even a knowledge of one’s religious obligations, the priests who were skilled in the law of divine things and pointed out its requirements—the pontifices—could not fail to attain an extraordinary influence ‘. ‘The catalogue of the duties and privileges of the priest of Jupiter might well find a place in the Talmud. ‘The rule— that no religious service can be acceptable to the gods, unless it be performed without a flaw—was pushed to such an extent, that a single sacrifice had to be repeated thirty times in succession on account of mistakes again and again committed; and the games, which formed part of the divine service, were regarded as undone, if the presiding magistrate had committed any slip in word or deed, or if the music even had paused at a wrong time, and so had to be begun afresh, frequently for several, even as many as seven, times in succession’ Great, however, as was the influence acquired by the priestly colleges of Rome, ‘it was never forgotten—least of all in the case of those who held the highest position—that their duty was not to command, but to tender skilled advice .‘ The Roman statesmen submitted to these transparent tricks rather from considerations of political expediency than from religious scruples; and the Greek Polybius might well say that ‘the strange and ponderous ceremonial of Roman religion was invented solely on account of the multitude which, as reason had no power over it, required to be ruled by signs and wonders .‘

The devout belief in the efficacy of invocation and sacrificial offering which pervades most of the hymns of the Rig-veda, and which may be assumed to reflect pretty faithfully the religious sentiments of those amongst whom they were composed, could not but ensure to the priest, endowed with the gift of sacred utterance, a considerable amount of respect and reverence on the part of the people. His superior culture and habitual communion with the divine rulers of the destinies of man would naturally entitle him to a place of honour by the side of the chiefs of clans, or the rulers of kingdoms, who would not fail to avail themselves of his spiritual services, in order to secure the favour of the gods for their warlike expeditions or political undertakings. Nor did the Vedic bard fail to urge his claims on the consideration and generosity- of those in the enjoyment of power and wealth. He often dwells on the supernatural virtues of his compositions and their mysterious efficacy in drawing down divine blessings on the pious worshipper. In urging the necessity of frequent and liberal offerings to the gods, and invoking worldly blessings on the offered, the priestly bard may often be detected pleading his own cause along with that of his employer, as Kanva does when he sings (Rigveda VIII, 13), ‘Let him be rich, let him be foremost, the bard of the rich, of so illustrious a Maghavan’ as thou, 0 lord of the bay steeds!’ Though the Dana-stutis, or verses extolling, often in highly exaggerated terms, the munificence of princely patrons, and generally occurring at the end of hymns, are doubtless, as a rule, later additions, they at least show that the sacerdotal office must have been, or must gradually have become during this period, a very lucrative one.

Although there is no reason to suppose that the sacrificial ceremonial was in early times so fully developed as some scholars would have us believe, the religious service would seem to have been already of a sufficiently advanced nature to require some kind of training for the priestly office. In course of time, while the collection of hymns were faithfully handed down as precious heirlooms in the several families, and were gradually enriched by the poetical genius of succeeding generations, the ceremonial became more and more complicated, so as at last to necessitate the distribution of the sacerdotal functions among several distinct classes of priests. Such a distribution of sacrificial duties must have taken place before the close of the period of the hymns, and there can be little doubt that at that time the position of the priesthood in the community was that of a regular profession, and even, to some extent, a hereditary one. A post of peculiar importance, which seems to go back to a very early time, was that of the Purohita (literally ‘praepositus ‘), or family priest to chiefs and kings. From the comparatively modest position of a private chaplain, who had to attend to the sacrificial obligations of his master, he appears to have gradually raised himself to the dignity of, so to say, a minister of public worship and confidential adviser of the king. It is obvious that such a post was singularly favourable to the designs of a crafty and ambitious priest, and must have offered him exceptional opportunities for promoting the hierarchical aspirations of the priesthood.

Content: Part I

Introduction

ix

First Kanda

Darsapurnamaseshti, or New and Full-moon Sacrifices

1

Vow of Abstinence

1

Preparation of Offerings

6

Leading forth of Pranitah

6

Taking out of rice for the cakes

11

Preparation of strainers and consecration of the rice by sprinkling with lustral water

19

Husking and grinding of the rice

23-38

Putting on of the potsherds

32

Preparation and baking of the cakes

42

Preparation of the Altar

47

Samishtayagus, or throwing away of the grass-bush

55

Lines of enclosure

59

Cleaning of spoons

67

Girding of the sacrificer’s wife and eyeing of the butter

71

The offering-spoons

78

Covering of the altar with sacrificial grass

83

Enclosing of the fire with the Paridhis

87

Kindling of the Fire

95

The Pravara, or choosing of Human Hotri

114

Agharau, or two libations of ghee

124

The Pravara, or choosing of Human Hotri

131

Prayagas, or fore-offerings

138

Agyabhagau, or two butter-portions to Agni-Soma

159

Special Preliminary Rites of New-moon Sacrifice

175

Chief Offering, viz.

190

Cake to Agni

199

Low-voiced offering (upamsuyaga) to Agni-Soma.

Cake to Agni-Soma at Full-moon Sacrifice.

Cake to Indra-Agni, or Samnayya to Indra at New-moon Sacrifice.

Oblation to Agni Svishtakrit

199

Brahman’s portions

208

Ida

216

Anuyagas, or after-offerings

230

Suktavaka, Samyuvaka, and offering of remains

236

Patnisamyagas

256

Concluding ceremonies

262

Second Kanda

Agnyadhana, or Establishment of Sacred Fires

274

Sambharas

276

Asterisms suitable for Agnyadhana

282

Seasons suitable for Agnyadhana

289

Upavasatha

291

Churning and laying down of fire

294

Oblations

302

Punaradheya, or Re-establishment of Fire

313

Agnihotra, or Morning and Evening Milk-offerings

322

Agnyupasthana, or Worship of Fires

338

Pindapitriyagna, or oblation of Obsequial Cakes to Deceased Ancestors

361

Agrayaneshti, or Offering of First-fruits

369

Dakshayana (New and Full-moon) Sacrifice

374

Katurmasyani, or Seasonal Sacrifices

383

Vaisvadeva

384

Varunapraghasah

391

Sakamedhah

408

Mahahavih, or great oblation

417

Maha-pitriyagna

420

Oblation to Rudra Tryambaka

437

Sunasirya

444

Additions and Corrections

452

Transliteration of Oriental Alphabets adopted for the Translations of the Sacred Books of the East

453

Contents: Part II

Introduction

xi

Third Kanda

A. Day (or Days) of Preparation Diksha, or Consecration

1

Prayaniyeshti, or Opening Sacrifice

47

Hiranyavati-ahuti, or Offering with Gold; and Homage to Soma-cow

52

Purchase of Soma-plants

63

Procession and Entrance of King Soma

75

Subrahmanya-litany

81

Atithya, or Guest-meal to King Soma

85

Tanunaptra, or Covenant of Tanunapat

93

Avantara-diksha, or Intermediary Consecration

97

Upasadah, or Homages (sieges)

104

Preparation of Soma-altar with High-altar

111

Agni-pranayana, or Leading Forward of the Fire to the High-altar

121

Construction of Sheds, and Preparation of Pressing-place and Dhishnya-hearths

126

Havirdhana, or Cart-shed

126

Uparava, or Sound-holes

135

Sadas, or Tent

140

Dhishnya-hearths

148

Vaisargina-offerings, and Leading Forward of Agni and Soma (to Agnidhra)

155

Animal Sacrifice

162

Setting up of Sacrificial Stake

162

Slaying of Viction

178

Oblations:-

Fore-offerings with Aprt-verses

184

Offering of Omentum (vapa)

190

Pasu-purodasa, or Cake-offering

199

Cutting and offering of Flesh-portions

201

Offering of gravy (vasa)

205

Offering to Vanaspati

208

After-offerings

210

Purificatory Bath, &c.

215

Ekadasini, or Set of Eleven Victims

217

Vasativari-water

222

B. Day of Soma-feast.

Pratar-anuvaka, or Morning-prayer; and Preparatory Ceremonies

226

Pratah-savana, or Morning-pressing:-

Preliminary Pressing

238

Nigrabhya-water

242

Nigrabha-formula

245

Fourth Kanda

Upamsu-graha

248

Great Pressing:-

Antaryama-graha

257

Aindravayava-graha

265

Maitravaruna-graha

265

Asvina-graha

272

Sukra-and Manthi-grahas

278

Agrayana-graha

288

Ukthya-graha

292

Vaisvanara- and Dhruva-grahas

298

Viprud-homa, or Oblation of Drops

305

Bahishpavamana-stotra

307

Asvina-graha

312

Offering of Savaniya-purodasah

314

Ritu-grahas, or Libations to the Seasons

318

Aindragna-graha

322

Vaisvadeva-graha

323

Agya-sastra

325

Madhyandina-savana, or Midday-pressing

331

Sukra and Manthin; Agrayana and Ukthya-grahas

332

Marutvatiya-grahas

334

Mahendra-graha

338

Dakshina-Somas

340

Tritiya-savana, or Evening-pressing

350

Asvina-graha

351

Agrayana-graha

355

Savitra-graha

357

Vaisvadeva-graha

359

Offering of karu (rice-pap) to Soma

363

Patnivata-graha

365

Agnimaruta-sastra

369

Hariyogana-graha

370

Concluding Ceremonies

374

Samishtayagus

374

Avabhritha, or Purificatory Bath

378

Udayaniya-ishti

386

Udavasaniya-ishti, or Completing Oblation

389

Offering of Barren Cow

391

C. Additional Forms of Soma-sacrifice

Shodasin

397

Dvadasaha

402

Atigrahyas

402

Avakasas

409

Triratra sahasradakshina

414

Dvadasaha vyudha-khandas

418

Amsu-graha

423

Gavam ayanam

426

Mahavratiya-graha

429

Brahma-saman

434

Diksha, or Consecration, for Sacrificial Sessions

440

Sattrotthana, or Rising from a Session

447

Katurhoti-formulas

452

Brahmodya

452

Index to Part I and II (Vols. XII & XXVI)

457

Additions and Corrections

474

Plan of Sacrificial Ground

475

Transliteration of Oriental Alphabets adopted for the Translations of the Sacred Books of the East

477

Contents: Part III

Introduction

xi

Fifth Kanda

A. The Vagapeya

1

The Cups (graha) of Soma

5

The Cups of Sura

8

Animal Victims

11

Consecration

17

Chariot-race

17

Apti and Klipti-formulas

29

The Mounting of the Sacrificial Post by the Sacrificial and his Wife

31

The Seating on the Throne-seat

35

Vaga-prasavaniya-oblations

37

Uggiti (victory)-formulas

40

B. The Ragasuya, or Inauguration of a King

42

Preliminary offerings

42

Seasonal-offerings

47

Indraturiya-oblation

50

Trishamyukta-offerings

54

Ratna-havimshi, or Jewel-offerings

58

Offering to Soma and Rudra

65

Offering to Mitra and Brihaspati

66

Savitri Satyaprasava, Agni Grihapat

68

Soma Vanaspati, Brihaspati Vak, Indra Gyeshtha, Rudra Pasupati

70

Mitra Satya, Varuna Dharmapati

71

Preparation of the Censecration Water

73

Partha-oblations

81

Investing of the King with the Consecration Garments, the Bow and Arrows